Thermostat housing leak

[zx32nr]

Usually when the t-stat housing is leaking it is due to either the gasket between the housing and the head (as seen above) or on the bottom of the housing right in between of the 2 pipes.
Either way if you are going to have everything out you might as well do it all.
I got all parts from the dealer and it cost me around 80 bucks.
That was the housing.
The gasket
The outer piece
And all 3 torx head screws holding the two plastic pieces together.
If you are going to do it do it rite.
You don't want to have to pull it all out in 6 months because of a reused gasket or a loose old screw. Both have happened to me and I learned to not be cheap theast time and it works great now
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[MarkZX3]

I've been researching this now for about a month. I did find that there is a company that makes a replacement housing for the Focus.
Dorman makes a thermostat/water outlet housing kit, the part is #902-201. The problem for now is EVERYBODY is out of stock of them. Dorman is telling their dealer that they should have them by April 1st or by April 15th at the latest. The housing looks to be plastic, but it listed as an "OE Solutions" item.
I've found some places that list having them in stock, but when I call they have been in FACT out of stock!
I'm planning on hitting the market again the first of April.
I was hoping to find somebody here that had bought a Dorman housing so they could let me know how it compares to the OEM crap housing, but so far NoBody??
Parts Nerd told me that they had sold 1,600 of them last year! I can't believe nobody on this forum has installed on eof them.

http://autopartsnerd.com/item.wws?sk...r=DOR&weight=1

http://www.rockauto.com/dbphp/mfr,DORMAN

[greddy339]

it seams if it's made of plastic like the oem ones, then i don't see it working any better than the stocker?

[MarkZX3]

Originally Posted by greddy339

it seams if it's made of plastic like the oem ones, then i don't see it working any better than the stocker?

Maybe I'm reaching, but I was hoping that MAYBE the company changed the composition of plastic, OR maybe?? made some machine changes in the area where it seals, or how it seals? I guess I'm skeptical as well. But then again why would a company go to the trouble of designing that housing as an OE solution and making it with the same problems as the OEM?
MarkZX3

[greddy339]

same reason they make oem replacement parts...to make money!

[MarkZX3]

Well, I'm thinking about waiting it out for the Dorman housing. I'm not ready to put $260.00 into the HTP housing (Yet) and if I buy the Ford OEM housing I know I'm buying a piece of crap that's going to leak again in a short amount of time. I think the unknown this time is a better gamble, even if I dont like to gamble.
MarkZX3

[greddy339]

iv personally seen a dorman housing...im just speculating that if it's plastic then your back to square one? i did see em at rock auto..but there was a 92 day wait or something crazy like that?

[MarkZX3]

Originally Posted by greddy339

iv personally seen a dorman housing...im just speculating that if it's plastic then your back to square one? i did see em at rock auto..but there was a 92 day wait or something crazy like that?

Did you mean to say "you've NOT Personally seen the Dorman Housing"

I called and talked to a guy at Parts nerds and he told me that he contacted the Dorman company and ask about that housing, he informed me that Dorman would have the part out by "Probably" April 1st and NO later than April 15th, If he was telling me the truth??
MarkZX3

[greddy339]

yup..i had a typo...i have not seen a dorman housing personally...

[MDeardorff]

I just bought a new thermostat housing for my '02 Focus SE and I wanted to post a picture from my computer. Any tips on how I can post a pic in a reply?

I bought the part from
http://stores.channeladvisor.com/Aut...0Housing%20Kit

The item was in stock and comes with a new housing, water outlet, thermostat, and thermostat gasket. I have two questions is there a gasket still needed at the head/housing junction, and is there a gasket for the water outlet/housing junction? Anyone know the part numbers for the gasket if needed?

Turns out the valve cover gasket is the source of the failure so I bought one of those too from a different website. If you go to directfordparts.com you can find the valve cover gasket.

Thanks for all the useful info here, great site for Focus owners.